Hunter Brown allows more than four runs for the first time in over three months
As Astros starting pitching goes, so go the Astros in 2024.
Tonight, sky high Hunter Brown came back to Earth, and four runs by the Astros offense weren’t enough to overcome the five runs in five innings allowed by the Astros starter.
The Astros took the early lead with two runs in the second inning. The rally started with a lead off Alex Bregman double, followed by a Jon Singleton single an RBI Mauricio Dubon single and a sac fly by Jake Meyers.
However in the third inning the As were able to tie the score with the help of some sloppy Astros fielding, an all too recurring story this year. Astros starter Hunter Brown did not help himself walking the second batter after Max Schuemann led off the inning with a single. Scheumann scored on a Brent Rooker single. The next batter, JJ Bleday, hit a seeming double play ball to Jose Altuve that should have ended the inning, but Altuve booted the chance, allowing Rooker to score. Because official scorers are not allowed to assume double plays, the run against Brown was scored an earned run.
The Astros retook the lead in the home third but wasted an opportunity to put more distance between themselves and the As. Yordan Alvarez led off with a broken bat single and came home from first on a double by Yainer Diaz (doubtfully ruled a third base error). Bregman singled Diaz to third and with no outs, Diaz was held at third. Unfortunately, Jon Singleton popped up and Jeremy Pena hit into a double play, stranding Diaz.
Hunter Brown reached deep to hold the lead in the fifth. After three singles and with one out and the bases loaded, Brown wound up striking out the side with overpowering high heat.
But the sixth inning was a bridge too far for Brown, who allowed a Jacob Wilson single, a Kyle McCann homer and a Schuemann double, bringing in Caleb Ferguson to put out the fire. Brown has been exceptional for the last two months, but regression has been predicted, and it hit tonight. He finished with five innings, five runs, nine hits, one walk, and seven Ks. Ferguson allowed the inherited runner to score on a Rooker single, his 101st season RBI, giving the As a 5-3 lead.
The Astros inched forward in the eighth with a run after there were two outs and no runners. Bregman reached on a throwing error, followed by a Jon Singleton single and a Kyle Tucker, pinch hit, RBI single. Ben Gamel stranded the runners with a flyout to left.
Mason Miller took care of the Astros 1-2-3 with 100+ heat, making As starter Joey Estes the winner and ensuring a series win for the As.
The Astros low leverage relievers kept the score close, with Caleb Ferguson, Tay Scott and Kaleb Ort posting four scoreless innings allowing only two baserunners. Ferguson has allowed only two earned runs in his last 15.1 innings.
Early game tomorrow, 1:10 CT. Framber goes to stop the bleeding.